Free Heroin Overdose Prevention Seminar In Great Neck

A free Heroin Overdose Prevention Seminar will be held in Great Neck on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

This seminar looks to prevent drug-related deaths in the community. Residents will learn:

• How to administer the Naloxone - the lifesaving antidote to a heroin overdose. Naloxone is administered through a nasal spray, and is provided at no charge to trainees over the age of 18.
• The warning signs of drug addiction
• New and effective treatment options
• Personal stories of recovery

“It’s not just heroin that’s causing the overdose deaths on Long Island each day—it’s also misuse and abuse of prescription pain pills – and people of all ages, ethnicities and social status are affected,” County Executive Ed Mangano aid in a press release. “Residents need to become educated about the disease of addiction, and can do so by attending our free workshop. I encourage everyone, 18 years of age and older, to take advantage of this opportunity that could save a loved one’s life and give them a chance at recovery.”

The two-hour event will be held at Great Neck South High School, located at 341 Lakeville Road, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

At least 26 trainees have used the Naloxone kit they were given to save the life of someone overdosing on Heroin or prescription pain pills. At least 195 Nassau residents died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the county says.

All residents are welcome to attend, but seating is limited. RSVP here.

Nassau has trained more than 9,300 civilians to administer the overdose antidote, since becoming state certified in Sept 2012. Among those civilian trainees are school nurses, athletic directors, pharmacists, auxiliary and probation officers, firefighters and 911 dispatch operators.

Naloxone—the main ingredient in Narcan—has been used by paramedics and emergency room doctors for decades to save lives, but a 2006 State law allows citizens to administer Narcan in an attempt to save a life, without fear of liability.

File photo